The survival, growth, and detoxifying enzyme activities of grasshoppers Oedaleus asiaticus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) exposed to toxic rutin

Secondary compounds from plants are often insecticidal. Rutin, a plant bioflavonoid, has demonstrated insect control activity. We studied the survival, growth, and detoxifying enzyme activities of grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus Bey-Bienko (Orthoptera: Acrididae) exposed to rutin using an artificial indoor feeding trial and field cage study for three years. O. asiaticus had reduced growth rate and decreased survival when exposed to rutin. The 7-day LC50 was 763.7 mg/L. Rutin induced an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) representing oxygen damage. Activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD); and the detoxifying enzymes, cytochrome P450s (CYP450s), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGTs), carboxylesterase (CarEs), and glutathione-S-transferase (GSTs) were all significantly increased when Oedaleus asiaticus exposed to rutin. Rutin was toxic to O. asiaticus and suppressed grasshopper growth. The detrimental effects of rutin to O. asiaticus offer a new option for the development of biological pesticides and potential application to grasshopper biological control.